About
The leaves are green and the flowers white and scented. A woody deciduous shrub of long arching canes which will root and form a prickly thicket, if left untrained. The plant has separate male and female plants so will both sexes will be needed for good fruiting. Other members of the family nearby may also pollinate it successfully. The fruit is small but sweet and forms decorative clusters at various stages of ripening - red through to black. Good pollen source for pollinating insects.
About the genus
Rubus can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, often scrambling with bristly or prickly stems bearing simple, lobed, palmate or pinnate leaves and 5-petalled flowers followed by juicy, sometimes edible fruits
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, South-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH7
Plant details
Plant typeFruit Edible
HabitClump forming, Suckering, Spreading branched
FoliageDeciduous
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread1.5-2.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
FragranceFlower
Care notes
CultivationTrain to wires on the sheltered side of a fence or wall, in any fertile soil in sun or partial shade
PruningOnce well established, cut fruited canes down to the ground in late autumn and tie in the new canes which have grown over the summer.
PropagationPropagate by division or by layering shoot tips in spring or late summer
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to grey moulds and honey fungus (rarely)